


Hunter's Academy

by Awkwardidity



Category: Hunter X Hunter, 学園アリス | Gakuen Alice
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-24
Updated: 2015-11-24
Packaged: 2018-05-03 05:08:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5277851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awkwardidity/pseuds/Awkwardidity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gon finds there's more to lose than he thought.<br/>Leorio leaves no one alone.<br/>Kurapika find scarlet eyes in scarlet lives.<br/>Killua can never stop running.</p><p>Ging is sent to Alice Academy and gets the bright idea of bringing his son Gon along with him. Things happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hunter's Academy

“So as you see, this will have to be a top secret mission.” Cheadle Yorkshire said as the presentation on the Zodiac’s flat screen TV faded to black.

Ging Freecs stared at the girl, considering the offer. As well as if the slight tingle in her nose meant that she was sniffing him or just taking in an especially deep breath. He hated how effectively dog-like she’d made herself. It was his own theory that it was this heightened sense of smell that always allowed her to find him. It bothered him. That he could never fully disappear from her.

“So the Hunter’s Association won’t give me any support in this?” He asked.

“Not officially, no. The world governments won’t be happy with us interfering with them.”

“Netero sure had one minefield of a project.”

Cheadle sighed, taking a seat before continuing on. “He dealt in this business out of necessity, in order to keep things fair between the government and the children. These children are prodigies, so full of nen that they’re able to be Specialists as well as any other field naturally. If the wrong people took advantage of them, even the strongest hunters would fall.”

Cheadle’s stare was intense as she talked, her nose and ears twitching ever so slightly. “They’re so much stronger than us. They don’t have our rules or limitations. They’re too dangerous to leave alone.”

“So we control them,” Ging met her stare for stare.

“We observe them, work with them when we can. And if they get out-of-hand, we step in.”

“But as I see it, nothing’s gone “out-of-hand.””

“No, but I have reason to suspect that something’s going on behind those walls and I want to know what.”

“What’s your reason Cheadle?”

“Instinct.”

Ging rolled his eyes. Way too much of a dog.

“If the Hunter’s Association isn’t going to help, how is Gon getting out? I get it’s something like a jail cell for children.”

Cheadle’s eyes widened, “you’re bringing your son?”

“Of course, I’m no good around children and I suspect if anything’s fishy it’s the kids who’ll know what it is.”

Cheadle shook her head vigorously. Ging almost expected there to be dog ears flapping around as her head moved side to side. “We can’t get Gon out! In fact, if someone there find out you guys are hunters, the Association can lose over ninety percent of government support.”

“Fine,” Ging said, pushing himself to stand, “the kid’ll have to find his own way out.”

“Ging, he’s your son!” Cheadle was exasperated. Ging really didn’t want to have to sit through another of her “stop being a bad dad” talks. They annoyed him more than anything.

“Which is why he can damn well take care of himself.” And he could. In fact Ging was pretty sure that the kid didn’t even need him. “Just get us both into the Academy and we’ll take care of the rest.”

“Fine,” she humphed “I’ll enrol him as a student. Ging, you’re going to be a survival and self-defense teacher. Think you’re up for it?”

He just snorted. He was a Hunter, surviving is what he did.

“Okay, you both start in a week. And Ging,” she narrowed her eyes and leaned in from her spot at the opposite end of the table “don’t draw unneeded attention to yourself.”

His mouth turned up at both corners as Cheadle’s looked more and more regretful of her decision. If he was doing this, he was doing it his way.

\-----

Mito felt absolutely horrible when she woke up that day. There was an unwavering feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad was going to happen. It stayed with her even when she put on a smile in finding Gon surprised her with breakfast, it kept her from getting engrossed in her favorite book during her break from her chores, it caused her to break one of the old plates they had while washing, and caused even Gon to ask if she was feeling sick.

She couldn’t stop checking the windows in hope that the sun would go down already, before anything happened.

The sky was orange when she found herself sitting in front of the window that faced the walkway to the house. She had a glass of water provided by Gon in her hand.

The house felt more like home now that he was here again. She loved that he was back but she knew that he was his own type of homesick, the same she’d felt when he was gone.

He missed them.

Kurapika, Leorio, and especially Killua. He loved talking about all their adventures together. She loved to listen. That’s why she would catch the sadness in his eyes whenever he would put in a little “I wonder what they’re doing now.” Gon was her treasure and it hurt her to think that once upon a time she could have lost him.

Mito noticed other things too. In the time they’d spent apart, her son had grown up. Her son. He was her son, had been ever since Ging dropped him off.

Ging.

Mito clutched the glass tighter as she squinted to see the walkway more in the setting sun. It all made sense now. He was coming, she didn’t know how but she could feel it. He was coming.

And he was going to take Gon away.

\-----

Gon noticed that Aunt Mito was still tense as they sat down to dinner. She kept on glancing at the door as she finished up her stew and he set up the table settings. Was she expecting someone? She hadn’t said anything.

“Wow, Aunt Mito it smells so good!”

She smiled at him, putting another spoon of stew on his plate. “Thanks Gon, I made your favorite just for tonight.”

“What are we celebrating?” He asked, in between his salivations.

“Nothing. Just us both being here.” She smiled at him. He smiled back. Then someone knocked on the door.

Aunt Mito’s face fell immediately and she grumpily scooped up a piece of stew. She completely ignored it for a few seconds until the person knocked again, harder this time.

“Why don’t you go get it Gon? It’s for you.” Gon stood up, swallowing the food in his mouth as he walked to their front door. This person must have been the reason for Aunt Mito’s persistent bad mood. It almost made him not want to answer the door. But by the time his hand was on the doorknob the knocking had become persistent. He sighed and swung it open.

And saw Ging standing in front of him. Huh, well that would explain the bad mood.

“Hey Ging!” He said as he opened the door wider, “wanna come inside, Aunt Mito cooked really good food tonight.”

Ging walked in, taking off his hat and using it to fan himself. “Don’t think we have time, kid. It takes pretty long to get back from here.”

“No!” Aunt Mito looked livid as she walked over from the dining table. “You two aren’t leaving here until Gon has at least finished his food and you have explained what crazy kind of trouble you’re getting him into!”

Ging sighed, staring at his cousin with tired, annoyed eyes. Finally, realizing there was no way to win he slumped his shoulders and walked over to the dining table. He practically collapsed in the chair and greedily scooped up the stew with two fingers before answering. “It’s really not that bad. All I’m doing is taking the kid to school.”

“What?” Gon asked as he and Aunt Mito walked over and she slapped Ging on the arm. He took his seat and got another mouthful of stew.

“It’s a pretty high-class Academy too.” He said, rubbing the spot on his arm. Which, didn’t really answer anything. But there was always more than met the eye where Ging was involved.

Aunt Mito dropped a plate, spoon, fork, knife and glass of water in front of her cousin. “Explain,” she said, taking her seat and serving herself some stew. Gon noticed that some of the tension in her shoulders seemed to drain as she realized Ging was complying to her wishes. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as she had been expecting. For her sake, he hoped that was the case. But Gon’s own heart seemed to be picking up the pace. It was nice to live the quiet life for awhile but Gon liked this. He was excited to be a Hunter again.

Ging gave them all the details. The two of them were going to enter a school called “Alice Academy” in order to find out what’s going on with a certain “black cat” project that’s been bugging the Hunter’s Association. They also need to investigate the school in order to find what the principal’s motives are and if he’d be a threat to the organization. Gon was going in as a middle school student while Ging was going in as a teacher.

Frankly, It was disappointing.

The whole thing seemed more like something Killua or Kurapika would enjoy, full of undercover work, manipulation, deduction, and investigation. Gon didn’t really like doing the whole analyze-think-deceive thing. They weren’t even allowed to make mention of anything related to Hunters during the mission.

But people his age with natural nen abilities, that caught his attention. Apparently they were called “Alices,” a certain breed of human who had what people considered superpowers. From what Ging was saying, they weren’t even aware that nen existed.

Gon ate faster, his eyes lighting up with every word that came out of Ging’s mouth. He didn’t notice the sad way Aunt Mito would stare at him throughout the conversation, he was all focused on Ging.

“Gon doesn’t have his nen though.” Aunt Mito said as she unhappily glanced down at her food.

Ging clicked his tongue, reaching over to get another serving of the almost finished stew. “He’s still stronger and faster than a “normal” person should be.” He made his fingers form air quotations as he said this. “But it’s weird. Kid, you sure you can’t sense nen anymore?”

Gon sighed. “Yeah, I mean I can’t seem to turn it on or use Gyo, not really sure what happened. Maybe I used it all up during the fight with Neferpitou?” Killua told him another theory he had for his nen’s disappearance the last time they talked (it seemed like ages ago) but he didn’t really want to bring it up.

“I can still sense it in you though so that can’t be the case.” Ging got another serving of the stew, was it years of being a Hunter that allowed him to eat this fast?

Gon shrugged, “I’m not sure then.”

“What does your white haired friend think?”

“What?” Gon gulped, did Ging read minds now?

“The white haired one, Kill-a or Killi whatever, he was the one who got the nen remover right?”

“Oh, ooohh.” Okay, Ging didn’t read minds then. “Eh, he doesn’t really know? I don’t think even Nanika knows what the after effects of this whole thing are.” Gon quickly grabbed the spoon and put the last serving on his plate as he spied Ging eyeing it. He glanced guiltily at Aunt Mito, had she even eaten?

She was looking down at her hands, the most unreadable expression on her face. “Aunt Mito, are you okay?” Gon asked turning his big brown eyes on her.

“Ging.” She said, unmistakable ire in her voice. “You want my son to go to this Academy with no guarantee of getting out and no nen. And he wants to go.” The last was said with a bit of sadness as she smiled quietly at Gon. Then her eyes were back on Ging, all unshakable resolve and threatening glare. “Promise me that you’ll keep him safe. Promise me that you’ll bring him back. Swear on your life.”

“I swear on this.” Ging said, holding up his Hunter’s license. He passed it over to Aunt Mito. “I’ll bring him back, you have my word as a Hunter.” Aunt Mito accepted the card then pocketed it, smiling at Gon. “You need help packing? I’ll find your old fishing rod for you.”

She didn’t give Ging any farewell as she headed upstairs.

“She has a habit of trying to see how far the license can bend y’know.” Gon said as he started packing up the plates. Ging almost choked on his final spoonful. “But she hasn’t yet broken mine so I think it’ll probably be fine!” Gon grinned at Ging before picking up the man’s plate and stacking it up with the rest of them.

He skipped up the steps, calling out for Aunt Mito as he went to fetch his bag. His hands felt electric, just like that day he went out to become a Hunter. He didn’t know what to expect but he knew it would be something.

\-----

“Gon’s going to go where?” Leorio asked, balancing the phone between his shoulder and ear so that he could open his laptop.

“Alice Academy.” Kurapika’s voice flooded in from the phone’s speakers as he typed in the name on Google. “He’s apparently going in as a student along with Ging who’s coming in as a teacher.”

“Some father-son bonding then, the man’s finally doing his job.” Leorio laughed as he scrolled through the first link he saw. It seemed like your average richy-rich private school. Weird though, there were no pictures of students, teachers or any kind of staff in the page like other school websites would usually have. The cover photo simply showed the gate of the academy and then the school’s logo.

“If by doing his job you mean putting Gon in a situation where he probably has no way out and no assistance on the inside. Then yes, he’s doing an amazing job.”

The school’s advertising team really needed to step up their game. The “premier school for outstanding students” lines seemed to be copy-pasted from every other school brochure. There were no details of enrolment or what programs the school had. Just a number and an address. Huh, well then.

“Is he even aware of the fact that Gon still hasn’t regained his nen? I mean I understand that he’s done fine without it before but this school sounds too suspicious for my liking. Also, apparently the students here are able to use nen without even knowing it.”

Leorio let out a short whistle of appreciation. “They’d all pass the Hunter exam no problem.”

“They’re children. They’d probably get eaten by the time the first carnivore shows up. Or they’d fail at the first endurance test. Point is, talent doesn’t make up for work. Remember that.”

“Yeah, sure sure. But remember Gon and Killua are also children.” Not to mention he and Kurapika weren’t exactly adults in their own right.

“Gon and Killua are exceptions.”

“Alluka is also a child and I’m pretty sure she could beat the competition at the snap of a finger.”

“By beat you mean kill and Alluka and Nanika are also exceptions. Now would you stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Your attempts at beating me in almost every conversation.” Kurapika sounded annoyed.

“Are you talking about last time? Kurapika, I wasn’t trying to beat you. It’s just a known fact that there are no penguins in the North Pole.”

“Whatever. There damn well should be.” Leorio held back his laughter as he copied the Academy’s name and number on a piece of paper. Kurapika was a smart-ass most of the time so it felt good to beat him at his own know-it-all game. If only he didn’t take it so personally. The guy’s pride was really unbeatable.

“So where and when are we meeting up?” Leorio asked as he moved over to pick up his dear, worn-out briefcase. All his stuff were already packed. He just didn’t feel like unpacking when he came back to his studies after the whole Hunter election incident. Maybe in a way he knew he wouldn’t be staying for long.

“We’re not.” Leorio sighed as he looked around to find his apartment keys. He could already feel what was coming next.

“I have a lead here that I can’t ignore or hold off.” Kurapika sounded apologetic on the phone. ”Jean Kelferg, the billionaire, is on his deathbed and wants a little entertainment before he goes. He’s gonna organize his own type of competition in which the winner gets everything he owns. It’s rumoured that the Spider Clan sold him at least a dozen scarlet eyes.”

“Can’t you just steal the eyes? It’s not like you have to care about morals or anything.” Leorio was annoyed. They caught up during phone conversations but he hadn’t really seen his friend since they were both accosted by the Zodiacs.

“He’s rich enough to have Class A Hunters as his bodyguards. Attempting to steal the eyes would probably take more time and pose more of a threat than doing this the way he wants.”

“Fine,” Leorio sighed, finding his keys and stuffing them into his pocket. “Just… Don’t be stupid.”

“I’m not stupid.” Kurapika replied.

“When Kurta eyes are involved you are. You know what I mean Kurapika, think about your own safety before doing anything. Think about all of us. We can’t lose you.” It comes out before Leorio even thinks about it and brings with it a predictable awkward silence. Damn, well, even he got emotional at times.

“Yeah,” Kurapika said after a while. It was soft but Leorio just faintly heard the smile in it. “I’ll be safe, don’t worry.”

Awkward silence. Damn it all.

“Uh, yeah, well then.” Leorio scratched the back of his neck with his hand holding the keys. “Do you know how to contact Killua? His phone’s been out of reach for days now.”

“Oh, it’s been like that since about two months ago? I asked Gon and he said that Killua hasn’t contacted him either but he feels that everything’s fine.”

“Okay then, I trust the kid’s Killua radar. So I’m doing this solo then. Paladiknight style.”

“No, I know where he is. I’ll pass by him on the way to Kelferg’s place. Tell him to meet up with you.”

“What? Where? How?” Leave it to Kurapika to not just outright say that he knows important information.

“He approached me a while back so that I could put a nen tracker on Alluka and Nanika just in case something happened and he became indisposed.”

“Wait, since when could you put nen trackers on people?” Leorio wondered if he should be concerned of relieved that Kurapika could possibly have the ability to track him at any time.

“I never thought about it until Killua suggested it. It’s a lot like divination. Only I had to make the condition pretty specific so that it wouldn’t take too much out of me.”

“Which is?”

“I can only track someone when they’re aware of it and I have their consent to be tracked.”

Leorio laughed at that. “That’s a sucky condition.”

“Yes, but I think I’ve got ideas on how to loophole it.” Only Kurapika would find a way to cheat his own conditions.

“You haven’t yet answered the where. Maybe I could meet up with the both of you.”

“No.” He wanted to scream ‘Why not?’ Into the phone. He wanted to throw it across the room or just reach through and pull Kurapika in from the other side so that he could give him a piece of his mind. And then a hug. God he missed him. He missed all of them. He didn’t remember being this co-dependent before the Hunter Exam. It was frankly kind of embarrassing.

“Killua wouldn’t appreciate it,” Kurapika continued, oblivious to Leorio’s train of thought. “I’m supposing where he’s hidden now is something of a safehouse for him, Alluka, and Nanika. The less people who know, the less chance of Zoldyecks swooping in and wrecking havoc.”

Leorio remembered the day Kurapika had linked him to a page on a Hunter’s black market website that offered a ludicrous reward for information on the whereabouts of Killua Zoldyeck. That had been last week. He’d been trying to contact the kid ever since and Kurapika had conveniently forgotten to tell him that he did in fact know where their friend was.

It was difficult. Having friends that disappeared and other friends who were secretive know-it-alls about practically everything. At least Gon understood. Or not. They had both agreed to not show the link to Gon. Leorio, with the hope that Killua would contact the kid anyways. They were the best of friends so why wouldn’t he? Well, he’d soon have the chance to ask him himself.

Leorio took one last sweep of his apartment, making sure he had everything he needed. Then he pocketed the keys, rode the elevator down to the first floor and handed them over to the manager at the front desk. “Hold on to that until I get back okay? I’ll pay any rent I’ve missed when I get back.” The manager just nodded, and threw the keys in a drawer. They’d developed a sort of professional trust already. The man knew Leorio would pay him back because Leorio had never shown any instance when he hadn’t and Leorio knew the man wouldn’t touch his room because the manager had never shown any instance of breaking a customer’s trust.

It was nice.

Having relationships where both parties were trusting and honest to one another because both parties relied on each other.

With that bitter thought Leorio strode out of the apartment and hailed a cab to take him to the nearest air balloon port.

\-----

Kurapika found himself staring at his phone forlornly as he turned it in his fingers. This phone that he used to contact the vilest, most despicable creatures was the same one he spent hours talking to his friends on. They all felt so interconnected now, his enemies and his friends. Sometimes he was afraid he wouldn’t get to distinguish one from the other. In his dreams he never could. But those were dreams, this was real life.

He stood up and climbed the stairs of his base of operations, making sure to stretch out his senses in order to find any threats lurking on the first floor of the building. It was a habit, to always watch his back, always be on guard. And ever since that Zodiac visited, he’d realized just how easy tracking him down could be. His nen picked up on nothing so he straightened out his suit then strode out. “I’ll be leaving.” He announced to Don, his counter-man and bodyguard. He didn’t really imagine that he needed one but he supposed a little support couldn’t hurt every once in awhie. Plus, Don was a pretty good guy from time to time.

“Already?” The man asked as he hurriedly stood up and closed his Playboy magazine. The cover made Kurapika almost blush. He couldn’t believe the man would read that out in the open, visible to incoming customers. It was the height of impropriety and unprofessionalism (it was something Leorio would do.)

“Yes, and I’ll be expecting you to uphold the reputation of this establishment while I’m away, would you get rid of that?!” Kurapika couldn’t not stare at the voluptuous woman on the cover as he tried to keep eye contact with Don. He could feel his cheeks heating up. He’d been raised to have certain morals alright! This was just wrong, it was disgusting and oh god was he staring at it again?

He heard laughter.

Directed at him. Well so much for professionalism. He took out his swords from the strap on his back, crossed the room and cut the offending literature in half before Don could so much as blink.

All this earned him was more laughter. “Did you just attack the PG magazine?” Don asked, clutching his sides as he wiped at his incoming tears. He said it so condescendingly, like he was talking to a child.

If there was one thing Kurapika hated it was being treated like a child. “It’s highly unprofessional, what would our customers think if they saw you reading that?”

“They already saw me reading it.” The man said to Kurapika’s horrified stare. “In fact, they were so interested in it that I took the liberty of putting a few issues in the newspaper stand.”

Kurapika turned and saw that yes, he wasn’t lying. The seemingly innocuous magazines were placed strategically behind the newspapers, slightly covered with just enough of it showing for a reader to recognize. His base of operations. His reputable bodyguard servicing business. It had been tainted.

“Are you seriously going to destroy all of those? It took me ages to complete my collection.” The man sounded regretful as Kurapika began picking out all the magazines.

“No,” he said, going over to Don and extending his hand in the universal sign for ‘more’. “I’m going to take them far away from this establishment and to a place where you’ll know they exist but never let you see them again.”

“You’re giving them to that friend of yours, aren’t you.” The man said as he begrudgingly dug up a box from under his desk.

He hadn’t thought about that honestly. But it didn’t seem like a bad idea. It was questionable though how Don would know Leorio would appreciate such a thing. Well, maybe not. Kurapika could call up instances where he’d lost control and ranted at Don about Leorio’s ‘sluggish, irresponsible behavior’ and ‘barely repressed libido’. He should make it a point to keep his thoughts and emotions more in check. He might make Don feel like he’s babysitting him or something.

“Yes, in fact I am.”

He sent a text to Leorio as he walked out of the building, a new package in hand.

> Kurapika: I’m bringing a gift for you.

He didn’t have to wait long for a reply.

> Leorio: should i be excited or scared?
> 
> Kurapika: You should be excited.
> 
> Leorio: :)
> 
> Kurapika: Then thoroughly ashamed of yourself.
> 
> Leorio: :(

\-----

Alluka was safe. She was just playing outside, picking flowers and laughing at the occasional frog that splashed into the pond. She was safe. She was safe. She was safe.

Killua said this like a mantra. Everyday when he woke up and every night before he slept. It was the little things that kept a person sane.

He rubbed at the bags under his eyes as he tracked down how far his wanted poster had spread. Apparently the thing had over twenty-four thousand views and a few comments over why exactly he was being tracked down (none of which were answered but he didn’t really need the reason spelled out for him). The price was big enough to put a dent in his brother’s account which meant big enough to reel in all types of people.

His faith was in Kurapika and the extra condition he’d suggested as the other was making the rules of his new nen technique. That the nen tracker allows only Kurapika to be able to track who he put it on. It had the extra downfall of allowing his friend to only track one person at a time, an inconvenience the Kurta had been more than willing to bear when Killua had explained his situation a while back.

Kurapika had argued about putting the tracker on Killua instead of Alluka though, as people were more likely to track him down considering it was his name on the poster. It didn’t make sense to give the extra security to his sister when they would be travelling together anyways.

He knew this. But it wasn’t necessarily the rest of the world he was running from. It was just Illumi and by extension the Zoldyecks. Where they were concerned, Alluka’s safety went above logic and reason. His worst case scenario would be that he could leave his sister somewhere safe and give himself up if needed.

Just

Alluka couldn’t go back to that house. Never again.

He took a sip of his soup guiltily before setting it down, making sure not to spill a drop on the mahogany of the table. He’d been holed up in the Kiriko’s house for about three days now. He hadn’t planned to break in and stay in. It’s just that nobody seemed to be home. The place didn’t seem abandoned exactly, they still has food stocked up in the pantry (which he’d allowed himself to take advantage of) it just didn’t look like it’d been lived in in a while.

“Killuaaa!!” The girl screamed as she ran in through the door and tackled him in a hug. She was wet all over, laughing as she thoroughly soaked his shirt. He smiled as he hugged her back.

“How was it Alluka?” He asked, frowning down at the water stains she left on the floor. Had she gone swimming through the pond?

“I found you a gift!” She said happily.

Then she dropped a dead frog on the table. Oh. Well then, it turned out this wasn’t Alluka.

“Thank you Nanika.” He smiled, finally catching the black in her eyes. She grinned back at him, laughing as he started noogie-ing the top of her head.

“Do you like my gift?” She asked, picking up the frog by its hands and having it do a mock dance in the air.

“Of course,” he said.

“Do you want me to gift you your friend at the door as well?” Nanika’s smile was constant as she made her new toy do a pirouette, twirling it around in a way that would have been painful if it were alive. Death had its own calms.

“No,” he got up from the table and headed towards the door. “I think one gift’s enough for today.”

“Can never give too many gifts!” Nanika singsonged as she set her pupilless eyes on the door.

Killua pulled the door open and a genuine smile found itself on his face (the first in a while). “Kurapika!” He laughed, “took you long enough.” **  
**

\--

The blond looked suspiciously around the house as Killua placed the cup of soup in front of him.

“Where are the Kiriko?” He asked, taking a sip of the now cold soup.

Killua just shrugged, opening up a window and tossing the frog back in the pond from where he stood. It landed with a plop and a splash and an eyebrow raise from Kurapika.

“It was a gift.” Was his only form of explanation. Nanika has probably forgotten about it by now so she wouldn’t mind. Alluka had woken up the moment she’d seen Kurapika and had run to give him a hug. For some reason the two of them seemed to get along so well. Alluka wouldn’t stop talking about how the “blond one” was her favorite ever since that time he introduced them to get a nen tracker on her.

“They are aware that you’re using their house right?”

Kurapika. Always the guilt-tripper.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell them as soon as I see them. Now let’s talk about more interesting things,” Killua said, effectively talking over what other comment Kurapika was going to make. “Why are you here?”

He’d told Alluka to go take a bath the moment Kurapika had sat down. She hadn’t been happy about it but he didn’t want her here for whatever his friend had to say.

“It’s not what you think,” Killua couldn’t stop his sigh of relief. What he thought was Illumi had found him, what he thought was that it was already too late. But if it was something else, maybe his sister still had a chance.

“It’s really not what you think,” Kurapika said, emphasizing this as he noticed the way Killua was grasping his spoon. “This visit has nothing to do with Alluka and Nanika.”

“What? Then why?” Strange. It had to be something important for Kurapika to risk their location like this.

“Gon.” Killua went cold. He could feel his fingers shaking as he forced himself to look the blond right in the eye.

“Hisoka?” He asked. If the clown had hurt him… It was all clear in his mind. Nanika could heal the damage (if there was still something to heal) and then he- he could hunt down the bastard. And heads would roll.

“No, no. Gon’s fine, completely fine.”

“Oh.” Okay then, it seems he’d overreacted.

“... Are you fine?” Kurapika stared at him with such a sympathetic expression, one that made him want to curl up and hide. Did he really look that weak right now?

Killua groaned, dropping his head in his hands. “Yeah, just peachy. Nothing to bother me except the knowledge that I’ve got a crazy man chasing me down.” He laughed, “from an even crazier family!”

“Not crazy,” Kurapika said. “Wrong and murderous but not crazy.”

“Yeah, they’re too smart for that.” Killua looked down at the mahogany table through the gaps in between his fingers. He wanted to sleep, that’s all he wanted. To sleep and not wake up every hour having to make sure that the both of them were still together, still safe.

He was too jittery these days. “So what’s up with Gon?” He asked. He just had to get his mind off things, that’s all he needed.

“I think I might as well show you.” Kurapika reached into the satchel he’d brought, pulling out a jet black laptop. He clicked on a bunch of files while Killua waited, stirring his soup and listening to the clicking sounds. Kurapika had picked the only unoccupied seat left on the table which had the inconvenience of being across from him so he couldn’t actually see what the other was doing.

Well he supposed he could just stand up and walk over. But eh. He was still technically a kid, he had the free pass to succumb to laziness.

“Here we are,” Kurapika turned the laptop to face Killua then pressed the spacebar key, initiating the video to play.

There was a dog-like woman and Gon’s dad on the screen, from the way she was talking he guessed she was the one who won over Leorio to become the new Hunter’s Association President. The angle of the shot was looking down at a scene. A security camera then?

“How’d you bug a Zodiac security cam?” He asked when there was a lull between the two conversants on screen.

“They called in me and Leorio to help them with a problem,” Kurapika’s smile looked evil basked in the light of the laptop, “I decided to get this in return.”

“And they didn’t catch you?” He asked, those would be some pretty impressive hacking skills.

“No, Leorio said that since they gave us complete access to their operating systems, it wasn’t an issue to hide our tracks. He did most of the work honestly.” Kurapika looked embarrassed while admitting this. Heh, Killua would make a point to congratulate Leorio profusely the next time he saw the guy. Probably at a time when Kurapika would be there to get suitably annoyed. And Gon would be there to back him up.

Yeah, if only.

“Wow, who knew the old man was a hacker,” he said. Noticing the slight crease of irritation in the blond’s forehead. Knowing how competitive he could be, he’d probably already started taking hacking lessons.

They stopped talking as soon as the dog-woman and Ging continued their conversation. The two seemed to wrap it up then Ging started saying things about how Gon would be involved. Dog-woman started getting all kinds of worked up, annoyed, then regretful as Ging slowly seemed to grow accustomed to the situation, the guy really liked pressing people’s buttons. Then he said some thing about how Gon was capable of taking care of himself then left.

Kurapika closed the laptop as soon as Ging walked out and waited for Killua’s response

“He’s right you know, Gon’s fully capable of taking care of himself.”

“Without his nen?” No, without his nen it would be more of a problem but—

“Alluka, on the other hand, is not capable of taking care of herself.”

“So that’s it? You’re just gonna leave Gon on his own?”

“He’s not on his own.” He was safe with his dad, he’d always be safe with Kurapika and Leorio looking after him.

“Killua, he needs you.” Kurapika leaned as far across the table as he could, as if reaching out for the boy.

“Alluka needs me more.” Alluka would always need him more. He knew what he was doing. He’d made this choice long ago, just below the century tree.

“You’re cutting him off.” Kurapika said it as if he just realized the thought. Killua refused to meet his eyes, he could lie, say that was absurd. But Kurapika was too smart to be gullible.

“Illumi knows me too well. Having Gon and Alluka in the same place? He’d force me to choose.” He looked at Kurapika this time, he hoped he’d understand. “I don’t want to make that choice.” He missed Gon, it’d been more than three months since he’d talked to him.

“We wouldn’t allow that to happen.”

“You wouldn’t be able to stop it.” He wasn’t being hopeless, he’d considered all scenarios and one way or another, he couldn’t have both of them. It was the truth.

“Trust us.” He did. It was himself that he couldn’t trust.

“I’m sorry Kurapika. Now you should go, Jean Kelferg’s villa is still a long way from here.” He should go too. It’s not that he doubted his friend’s abilities but he couldn’t risk someone tracking him here.

The blond’s eyes went wide as he also moved to stand.

“I follow the same rumors you do,” Killua said, rolling his eyes. “I guess we’re both picking something over Gon.”

“I’m not picking anything over Gon!” Kurapika said as he eyed Killua. He should stop, but the temptation to stoke the flame was too strong.

“Oh yeah?” He said, slouching back into a lazy position and positioning a casual smile on his face. “So when Gon was near death and you were nowhere to be found, that wasn’t you picking your precious Kurta eyes over Gon?”

“I couldn’t get out, not at that time.”

“I can’t get out either. We’re in the same place”

Kurapika stood still for a moment, his stance ready to challenge the other. Killua had sometimes considered his odds against him, if it ever came down to a fight. Well, the fact that he wasn’t going in for the kill would be an inconvenience.

The blond bent down (getting a weapon?) Then straightened up again, his sides moving with laughter. “We’re both selfish bastards,” he said in between gasps.

“The worse types of friends,” Killua agreed, relaxing his stance. “Because we have a reason to be.” It was always other people that made a person more selfish.

He remembered once saying that he was the same breed as Hisoka. Him, Kurapika and Hisoka, were they really all alike?

“If you ever change your mind, just contact Leorio, he’ll be there.” Killua just nodded then watched as the other left. They were both playing risky games. He always wondered when the last time he would see the blond would be.

“He didn’t say bye,” Alluka said it as a fact from where she was. How long had she been standing there?

“He doesn’t like saying that.” Killua said as he noticed the messy state of his sister’s hair. It was always a hairbrush’s nightmare to go through that.

“But what if he never gets to say it?” She asked. Killua just shrugged, he honestly didn’t have an answer to that.

It would be a whole day later, when Killua was prepared to leave, that he would find the seemingly innocent package left behind by Kurapika with a card attached addressing it to Leorio. Well Tokyo was along the way to his next safe house, it wouldn’t hurt to make an anonymous drop-off.

Though he was insanely curious to what this gift could be.

**Author's Note:**

> And that’s a wrap! Next chapter is where we’ll probably be seeing more Alice Academy peeps. Pretty curious to how this is all gonna turn out in the end.


End file.
